Grain drying apparatus

ABSTRACT

An appratus for drying grain in a continuous operation comprising an upper feeding box into which grain is fed, and a vertical passageway in communication with the feeding box and through which the grain falls under gravity. Means are provided for sucking air through the grain during its fall in the passageway and for axially inversing the flow of the grain during its fall.

[ June 19, 1973 United States Patent 1 Nivon LeeHa1lman...................r........

8 MP 0496 0045 9999 WWWW 6469 694 35 5704 4686 674 7 [22] Filed: May 4,1971 Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Attorney Raymond A. Robic [2]]App]. No.: 140,100

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the feeding box and through which the grain falls under gravity. Meansare provided for sucking air through the grain during its fall in thepassageway and for axially inversing the flow of the grain during itsfall.

9 6 4 3 S T N m m d m RM sm SE6 m; H mTq .mSB D RE7 W% NH U6 2 x 6 w m34/174 34/174 X 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,732,630 1/1956Markowich..... 3,053,522 9/1962 Applegate PAIENIED Jim I 9 mm N2 IllllllP Ill IlllfC Fig 1 INVENTOR Edmond NIVON A TTORNEY PAIENIED JUN I 9 I975INVENTOR Edmond NIVON fig 2 ATTORNEY The present invention relates to anapparatus for drying grain prior to stocking it in a silo, for example.

In all the known apparatus, whether static or continuous, drying of thegrain is done by forcing hot air to flow through a layer of grain. Sincesuch a layer offers a resistance to the passage of air, it is necessaryto use a powerful fan. This causes turbulences which in turn cause theformation of neutral zones and of hot zones. In the first case, theexcess humidity is not withdrawn from the grain and in the second case,the grain is grilled resulting in a lack of homogeneity in the drying ofthe grain.

The apparatus, in accordance with the invention, permits to overcome theabove disadvantages by providing a single fan which causes a vacuum tobe created around columns of grain falling under gravity. Hot and coldair are fed to the apparatus under normal pressure and sucked throughthe layer of grain in a regular and uniform manner.

The preferred embodiment of the apparatus, in accordance with theinvention, comprises at its upper part a feeding box which feeds twovertical passageways through which the grain falls under gravity towardsthe lower part of the apparatus where dispensers regulate the flow ofthe grain towards stocking locations. The outside walls of the apparatusform air flow chambers with the walls of the passageways into which thegrain flows. The above chambers communicate at the upper portion thereofwith a manifold connected to a fanmounted directly on a'wall of theapparatus. In the space between the two passageways are led hot air andcold air ducts providing the hot air necessary for drying the grain andthe cold air necessary for cooling it in the two successive phases ofthe drying operation. 'An horizontal plate is placed between the twoadjacent walls of the passageways to separate the hot and cold airzones. The passageways for the grain are made of perforated plates. Adevice is placed in each of the passageways at a predetermined heighttherein for axially inversing the flow of grain and so change theportion of the grain column which is exposed to the hot air flow duringits fall towards the bottom part of the apparatus. A vacuum zone beingcreated at the upper part of the air flow chambers, the hot airoriginating from the hot air duct flows through the grain towards theupper part of the air flow chambers. Similarly, the cold air originatingfrom the cold air duct flows through the grain towards the upper part ofthe air flow chambers.

The invention will now be disclosed, by way of example, with referenceto a preferred embodiment thereof and to the accompanying drawings inwhich FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the apparatus, portionsof the walls thereof being cut open to show certain details ofconstruction;

FIG. 2 illustrates the apparatus in a longitudinal cross section; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a section view along line AA of FIG. 2 forillustrating the details of the grain flow inversers.

As illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus comprises at its upperpart a feeding box 1 into which grain is fed and itself feeding twovertical passageways 2 in communication therewith and made of perforatedplates. Inside each passageway and at a predetermined height thereof arelocated grain flow inversers 3, formed of a series of blades held ateach end thereof by means of a U-shaped bracket, which blades aretwisted by 180 between the two brackets. The grain flow inversers aremaintained in the passageways by, means of brackets attached to the endwalls of the apparatus. At

the lower portion of the apparatus, the flow of the grain passagewaysthe air flow chambers 6, which chambers are connected by conduits 7 to amanifold 8 which is in turn connected to a fan 9. Inthe space betweenthe two passageways is led, at the lower part of the apparatus, a coldair duct 10. An horizontal plate 11 limits the volume of cold air in theapparatus. Above such horizontal plate is led a hot air duct 12.

The drying of the grain is affected as follows:

The grain in the feeding box 1 falls under gravity in each passageway 2.The vibrations caused by the operation of the fan 9 which is mounteddirectly in the wall of the apparatus also help in the flow of thegrain. While it is falling and approximately at mid-height of the hotair zone, the grain meets the grain flow inversers 3 the action whichcauses a separation and aturning around of the mass of grain in anhelicoidal movement before such mass of grain leases the hot zone/In thelower portion of the apparatus, the grain is exposed to cold air forcooling the grain before it is directed to wards stocking locationszTheair flow through the mass of grain is caused by the vacuum created atthe upper part of the air flow chambers 6 by :fan 9 acting throughconduit 7 leading to manifold 8. The hot air or the cold air, dependingon the phases of operation, is sucked at normal pressure flows throughthe layers of grain in a regular and uniform fashion, thereby causing aperfect and homogeneous drying of the grain.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiment disclosed above but, on the contrary, embodies all thepossible variations of such em bodiment, particularly in the form,dimension, disposition of the elements thereof, falling within the ambitof I the appended claims.

For example, in accordance with the invention, the drying assembly maybe made of a number of apparatus as disclosed above disposed in parallelwherein each of the manifolds thereof are interconnected to form asingle main manifold.

The apparatus, in accordance with the invention, apart from being veryefficient, provides a saving in the consumption of power and inmaintenance because it uses a single fan. It may be used in all caseswhen a good drying operation is required for the preservation of grainto be stored.

Applications which may be particularly interesting are those relating toflour-mills and to co-operative ensilage.

I clairn l. Anapparatus for drying grain in a continuous operationcomprising an upper feeding box into which grain is fed, a verticalpassageway in communication with said feeding box and through whichgrain falls under gravity, cold and hot air ducts located on one side ofsaid passageway and in communication therewith, an air flow chamberlocated on the other sideof said passageway and in communicationtherewith, a manifold connected to said air flow chamber. at the upper;part thereof, a fan connected to said manifold for creating a vacuum inthe upper part of said chamber thereby sucking cold and hot air upwardlythrough the grain asthe grain falls by gravity, and a series of bladestwisted by 180 positioned in said passageway for axially inversing theflow of grain and so change the portion of the grain flow exposed to thehot air during its fall towards the bottom part of the apparatus.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein there are two passagewayslocated one on each side of the central longitudinal axis of theapparatus.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the cold and hot airducts are located between the two passageways and are separated by anhorizontal partition,

the hot air duct being located above the cold air duct.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising U-shapedbrackets encompassing'the respective ends of all the blades for securingthe blades to the apparatus parallel to the grain flow.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said blades arepositioned about the center of the hot air zone.

6. A drying assembly comprising plural apparatus as defined in claim 1connected in parallel and wherein the manifolds of all the apparatus areinterconnected to form a main manifold.

1. An apparatus for drying grain in a continuous operation comprising anupper feeding box into which grain is fed, a vertical passageway incommunication with said feeding box and through which grain falls undergravity, cold and hot air ducts located on one side of said passagewayand in communication therewith, an air flow chamber located on the otherside of said passageway and in communication therewith, a manifoldconnected to said air flow chamber at the upper part thereof, a fanconnected to said manifold for creating a vacuum in the upper part ofsaid chamber thereby sucking cold and hot air upwardly through the grainas the grain falls by gravity, and a series of blades twisted by 180*positioned in said passageway for axially inversing the flow of grainand so change the portion of the grain flow exposed to the hot airduring its fall towards the bottom part of the apparatus.
 2. Anapparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein there are two passagewayslocated one on each side of the central longitudinal axis of theapparatus.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the cold andhot air ducts are located between the two passageways and are separatedby an horizontal partition, the hot air duct being located above thecold air duct.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprisingU-shaped brackets encompassing the respective ends of all the blades forsecuring the blades to the apparatus parallel to the grain flow.
 5. Anapparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said blades are positionedabout the center of the hot air zone.
 6. A drying assembly comprisingplural apparatus as defined in claim 1 connected in parallel and whereinthe manifolds of all the apparatus are interconnected to form a mainmanifold.